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scaip · 5 years

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If K project was settled in Westeros, in which house/organization would the clans be?

This is, as most of my fandom posts, a recollection of random thoughts glued together. Gotta use this as an excuse to talk about ASOIAF, my burning passion.

Now, not every clan will 100% meet the picture every house and place in Westeros may carry. K Project is settled in a modern, capitalist Japan AU, with a strong technological advancement. Westeros is based on medieval society from western Europe, with Great Britain as its main source of inspiration, though other places from the continent draw similarities (Dorne with Spain, northern Africa, and the Middle East, Highgarden with France, etc). The premises of both settlements are VERY, VERY different, based on different histories and different continents.

All westerosi houses draw their characteristics from the environment of settlement, relationships with their neighboring houses and territories, the narratives of their historical members. There is a lot of diversity there, so, in some cases, the clans will have more than a house of alignment. Westerosi noble houses date to hundreds or thousands of years, while the Clans of K Project can have more than six decades (in the case of the Tokijikuin) to few years (most of the others).

The themes of each clan could fit more than one organization but I only choose one for each clan, for simplicity’s sake. The rest is below due to length

Silver Clan: Hakumaito/White Rice Party - The Citadel/ Order of Maesters

Academy - knowledge - abnegation - independence - community.

Gold Clan: Tokijikuin/Timeless Palace - House Hightower

This one was tricky. The Silver Clan is formed by three people, five if you add Hieda and Kukuri by the end of K. All characters have diverse backgrounds, though we can agree they all share orphan issues or the situation of losing people dear to them. In Adolf’s case, since he only refers to having his sister, I suppose their parents either died or never where truly close.

Unlike other Clans, I believe Hakumaito becomes a proper clan towards the second season. Ashinaka, the School Island becomes their domain. Weismann works as a teacher there, while Neko and Hieda attend as students (x).

So, I ended up choosing the Order of Maesters, the core of intellectualism and academic pursuits in westerosi society. While the Order is seen as a place to dump second sons and a where the poor may manage to make a living if they study, it still remains as The Place to search for information and knowledge. In K-verse, Ashinaka Gakuen is a school settled by the gold clan, and a rather elitist one, for what we see from Hieda’s point of view. From the parody manga of Gakuen K and its otome game, it seems there is a university too, placed in the island.

Westerosi maesters are supposed to leave behind their personal histories and families once they finish their studies and start working for noble houses. They cannot marry either. A life of abnegation in service of others. The parallel here comes from Adolf’s way of life, first as the Silver King to live in relative isolation in a giant ship, then, as a teacher in a school. Teaching is a service to the community. Leaving aside ship-tease and the fact GoRA won’t give us canon pairings, we can only guess Adolf’s relationship with Kuroh will go from a platonic one to that of lovers. The story won’t give us that. Kuroh also behaves life a figure of abnegation: low profile, taking care of house duties, looking after Neko, Weissmann and later, Hieda. Obviously, this is not strictly played: Kuroh keeps relationships with people from Ichigen’s old town and visits it. But Shiro and Neko’s past relationships are not brought up.

I find it rather funny the characters oddly resemble archetypes of the Faith of the Seven. Shiro/Adolf would be a mix of The Father, The Crone, and The Smith. Kuroh has traits of The Mother, The Warrior (d'oh), and the Smith too. Neko would be the Maiden, shared by Kukuri who also has traits of The Mother. And, oddly enough, I feel like everybody minus Kukuri, represent aspects of The Stranger, as outcasts and because they are not what they seem at first sight (Kuroh may be a zig-zagged version of this).

As I said above, teaching is a service to the community. Adolf shares his vast knowledge to kids and seems like an informal and relaxed teacher. There is his personal close relationship with Daikaku, the Gold King, too, just like The Citadel owes a lot to Oldtown and House Hightower (I will later elaborate on that). In fact, I think it is a given that Adolf is allowed to work as a teacher and in that particular school because of his relationship with Daikaku.

I won’t elaborate much on Neko and Hieda, as the latter personal history starts to develop after the end of season two, once he regains control of his body, while Neko has lots of personal issues, and, well, The Citadel is base on patriarchal and misogynistic rules of medieval Europe, so, traditionally, there wouldn’t be places for Kukuri and her there. Kukuri’s character never gets much development, so I will leave her aside too.

Prosperity - Wealthiness - Knowledge - Welfare -

Red Clan: Homra - House Targaryen

The Gold Clan rules Japan from the background, moving strings. They keep The Masquerade of K Project going on (with an ambiguous grade of success, ‘cuz lets be honest: people randomly sprouting powers out of no-where seems too vox populi), internal and external affairs, the economy, education, health, and scientific developments. Tokijikuin patronage the pursuit of education and knowledge, Ashinaka Gakuen, considered an elitist academy in-universe, is settled and run by the Golds. They keep good connections, information networks as they are into every branch of government.

Then we have House Hightower from Westeros, one of the wealthiest vassal houses, with a rich port, who keep Oldtown in their domain and patronage its studies, also have close relationships with The Faith of The Seven (as they adapted well to the Andal invasion), and until Baelor The Blessed’s reign, remained as the Core of the Faith. In fact, during Aegon’s contest, Oldtown would have been the capital of the kingdom, hadn’t the Targaryens chose to establish it in King’s Landing. The domains of House Hightower are cosmopolite and influential to the rest of the realm… and other continents too.

While House Hightower remains more-or-less neutral during the books’ events, (there is this ambiguous curse concerning their interactions with the Targaryens) we can’t deny their influences on westerosi society and Essos as a whole. They have their own armed forces at their disposition, unlike the Gold Clan: while they move strings undergrounds, it appears security issues are divided between Toujijikuin and Scepter 4, with the latter gaining prominence on normal police and armies when Kokujoji died.

Kokujoji also kept personal relationships with Ichigen Miwa and Weissman/Shirou, receiving assistance from the former and giving it to the latter, similar to House Hightower influences on both Oldtown and The Faith.

Fire-themed - violent temperaments - intuitive - spontaneous.

Also, as someone pointed in TV Tropes:

The red clan has a bad reputation on both of their forms, though I believe Homra’s perception is biased from the actions of Genji Kagutsu, the previous red king, and the shape his clan took: Purgatory House. Purgatory House was an organization akin to Yakuza, Homra is more of a friendly gang. The fall of Genji’s sword of Damocles created a great crater, and we know the physical state of a Damocles’ sword reflects the inner state of its owner. Kagutsu was presented as a violent monster, however, we don’t fully know what his mental condition was. But we know Mikoto’s. He was suffering a crippling depression since he was 15, as shown in Kingdom of Red, when Izumo meets him. Mikoto’s mental illness never was properly treated, and we know how he ended.

Now, we have the infamous House Targaryen. They also carry a theme of mental illness, though as this clever analysis shows, it is not entirely deserved.

What fuels the special? That might very well be various forms of episodic, high-functioning, trance- or dream-like madness with resulting access to alternative thought-patterns. This can even be present in the brilliant Targaryens… which could explain why the wheels fall off so much on those who can’t keep their grips on their entries and exits into and from their individual forms of this as they go along. The general belief about Targaryens is that it’s hard to tell the difference between the great and the mad ones since madness and greatness are so close to each other.

“(…) madness and greatness are so close to each other”

Blue Clan: Scepter Four - House Arryn

Mikoto wasn’t crazy, just mentally ill. Anna had to grow up rather isolated due to her strain abilities. But we must remember we are using descriptions from an early medieval-based westerosi society. No clinical psychology and psychiatry there.

A flashback from Mikoto, during the creation of Kagutsu’s crater, shows him using sports clothes with a number 10 on his back, meaning he was that good a whatever sport he played during his school years. He seems to have been able to fluently speak English as a foreign language only with a high school level education. Mikoto could also tell who Reisi was without introductions the first time both met one another. Mikoto leaves me with an impression of “what could have been”: his depression stopped him, but I truly believe he had lots of potentials and could have been amazing at what he tried.

Then is Anna. Her strain powers involve dream-walking, peeking into the memories and thoughts of others, visions of the future (dragon dreams parallel, people), finding people and objects (do you remember how she tried to use her marbles on a map to find Tatara’s killer?), flying (once she awakened as a king) and somehow reproducing tortures performed on her towards others (remember that scene from KoR when she escapes Homra in desperation). She already had a strong affinity with the Dresden Slate as a child. Heck, I find lots of similarities between Daenerys and her.

There is also the state of their clans: feared and respected while Mikoto was in charge, though he had to work towards it with the help of his friends. But once they went to attack an enemy group, Homura would most likely win. Weak and scattered once Mikoto died, but strong again after Anna became the red queen. Similar to the state of Daenerys when Khal Drogo died: in danger, surrounded by enemies, but some dormant knowledge helping her move on.

Anna had an epiphany/lucid dream in Missing Kings, meeting the already dead Tatara and Mikoto, with the previous king telling Anna the ‘Red’ is hers now. Izumo’s words to her already implied Anna becoming a king as something both were aware of. From the prologue of Kingdom of Red, we learn the Slate started to call her once Mikoto died. At the end of her dream-state, she says Homra’s motto, links with the Slate and awakens as the new Red King, with her own Damocles’ sword.

At the end of AGoT, from Daenerys’ verbal exchange with Mirri Maz Duur, her affinity to the dragon eggs (feeling them warmth), the apparition of the red comet, we see her having an instinctual grasping of what was going on, about lost valyrian magic, and gets in a trance-like state.

“(…)the fire is mine. I am Daenerys Stormborn, daughter of dragons, bride of dragons, mother of dragons, don’t you see? Don’t you SEE?”

We already know the rest of the story: Daenerys walked into the funerary pyre with the dragon eggs, spent a whole night there, and her people found her the next morning with the first hatched dragons in more than a century.

There are similarities in their backgrounds as well. Both were orphans in charge of people who couldn’t properly deal with the situations. For Daenerys, she depended on another freaking child for a living. Viserys was an asshole who reaped what he sowed, but growing up as a lonely child without adults to rely on and a little sister to take care of, as exiles, in another country, leaves people scarred for life. For Anna, her aunt Honami wasn’t aware of what was truly going on with the 'medical treatment’ Anna was receiving and had Honami been fully aware of everything, without Homra’s help, and adult and a child can’t go against institutions. Both Daenerys and Anna also won more agency after becoming part of a bigger group, though, for Anna’s case, it was harder as she was only a child and still had to go through a period of 'isolation’ during the months Izumo is absent and Homra temporarily disbands, before awakening as a king the Red Clan reunites again.

Blue themed - honor before reason

(zig-zagged)

- elitism - military activities - pride - discipline -

Green Clan: Jungle - Not entirely sure

Why am I not placing Scepter 4 on House Stark, the obvious contrast to Homra’s red and House Targaryen’s fire? Well, that’s because House Stark is directly inspired by the history, territory, and people from where northern England meets Scotland. In-universe, House Stark rules over the biggest and most rural land in Westeros, are duty and honor-bound, however, the House Stark is on the roughish scale of nobility. They are hard, modest and melancholic. Heck, “stark” is the word for the name of the house. There is the famous wildness of some members, in-universe called Wolf-Blood. They keep old customs, follow the old gods, descend from the lines of the First Men. House Stark reflects Scotland and northern rural England, so considering the refinement and modernity Scepter 4 portrays, it doesn’t match the rough and rural image the North of Westeros has within. While Reisi’s animal may be the wolf, Stark’s animal are the direwolfs. Remember, their colors are grey and white, there is no blue in the sigil.

Second, because Eddard Stark, our picture honor-bounded nobleman, was fostered as a child in the Eyre by lord Jon Arryn. House Arryn moto is “As high as honor”. The Vale has a militaristic, knightly culture and gave the realm most of their best knights. Jon Arryn orchestrated Robert’s Rebellion against the Iron Throne, uniting the North, the Stormlands, Westerlands, and Riverlands, later became Hand of the King and essentially run the government of Westeros. In fact, historically, House Arryn had strong ties with House Targaryen: Kingsward members, Hands of the King, marriages with Targaryen princess, even Arryn queens.

Scepter 4, for me, matches House Arryn better than House Stark. A disciplined warrior elite. I believe their blue oni theme matches House Arryn well. Scepter 4 works closely to the Gold Clan, regulates strain activities, has executive functions and give off a hell of a sophisticated vibe. Good is not always soft or nice, and the heads of the clan can show it too, as they are not above using shady means, such as Reisi’s attempt to kidnap the millionaire that keep getting in his way in Files of Blue, Saruhiko drugging the high school student in season one in order to get the information he needed or Seri blatantly proposing plans that disregarded Mikoto’s human rights for the greater good.

Remember the tale of lady Alyssa Arryn not crying even when her husband and children were killed in front of her? I think about Reisi repressing his pain due to Mikoto’s death. Icy and proud. A prodigious mind, that essentially ends up as head of the country by the end of the season of K, but has to fight his way too. There are elements of frigidity and pride too.

The Arryns have been close to the Targaryen Dynasty, while also dealing with their own issues. Similar to how Scepter 4 closely works with the Timeless Palace, unlike other clans. The blue clan limits itself with the regulation and use on force on individuals who possess special abilities, but still, need authorization from the Gold King to act on some aspects. Obviously, had the Arryns rebelled against the Iron Throne, things would have end ugly for them, with or without dragons. Reisi can be rebellious towards the gold king, challenge him a bit, but that’s because K project is settled on a modern world. Different rules.

Intelligence and wit come to mind too: the Eyrie is a complex castle elevated over a mountain, inexpugnable and sophisticated as hell if we consider it was built over a mountain in the ancient westerosi world, with medieval technology. The freaking cells of the Eyre castle invoke psychological torture, as prisoners may fall from them due to the diagonal floor. Scepter 4 may be an organization for the greater good, but it doesn’t mean they will be nice.

Falcons (the animals of House Arryn) are symbols of boldness, courage, and victory. Tell me if that doesn’t match the Scepter 4, marching forward towards what they want, always ready for whatever emergency may appear, attentive and watching over.

There is a lunar theme too. The Eyrie remains high in the sky. Blue and white. The Moon Doors. Lunar symbolism references renewal and purity. Remember Scepter 4’s motto:

“We of Scepter 4 carry out duties of the sword. Forgiving of neither war in the sanctuary, nor chaos in the world. We will advance with sword in hand, for our cause is pure!”

The moon also symbolizes shadow and opposition, contrast. Scepter 4 is a military organization that doesn’t appear in the eyes of official society, working underground, in the shadows. There is that short story after the Gold King’s death, with Reisi intimidating the prime minister. The moon also represents feminity, with the implication of cleverness, grace, elegance the blue clan represents in contrast with the reds. Heck, remember how House Arryn had to deal with the mountain clans as arch-enemies for thousands of years? Clans as a ragtag bunch of misfits, followers of rude customs, working as gangs, in contrast with the discipline and pomp of another organization. Don’t you see in this a similarity with how Scepter 4 perceives Homra? Similar to how English nobility historically viewed Scottish clans and society.

There is both snow and ice in the imagery of House Arryn as it is settled in The Vale. Mountains, hills. While Scepter 4 has an affinity with the element of water, in contrast to Homra’s fire, I choose House Arryn to match Scepter 4 due to its history of chivalry, warriors and cold-blood. There is an ambition too as an element of the house, and, while we know Reisi is a terribly ambitious guy, that trait shouldn’t overshadow his clan as a whole.

This is a tricky one. I have troubles placing Jungle on a freaking medieval house, as they benefit from modern technology, since the majority of the clan work as an anonymous mass waiting for orders and depending on modern technology, more akin to mercenaries, but not mercenaries in the ancient sense of the word.

I have serious troubles with this, so, you are all invited to write your own thoughts on this.

Grey Clan: Cathedral - The Faith of the Seven

Devotion - abnegation - integrity -

Colorless clan - The Faith of the Seven

This was tricky too. We don’t know much of Cathedral, and Japanese media tends to mix protestant, Anglican and Catholic elements for the aestheticTM. While, judging from Seigo’s attire, he probably was a protestant priest, there is a lack of info concerning his personal story, let’s not speak about the whole clan. We know Cathedral was second in importance to the Gold Clan during the 90’s, all the clansmen perished during the creation of Kagutsu’s crater, and there is this flexible Christian theme surrounding them.

Since in Westeros the Faith of the Seven (from here on, it’ll be addressed as The Faith) is analogous to Christianity spreading over previous forms of beliefs, with the introduction of the Andal mass migration towards the continent. Septons and septas are analogous to priests and nuns who take vows of celibacy, though, in K, I suspect Cathedral held a non-catholic approach. We will never know, as the plot will always be abstract (that’s why we like it) and Seigo is a secondary character.

I think the Colourless Clan would represent other aspects of The Faith, focusing on The Stranger (Ichigen, Kuroh, Yukari), The Krone (Ichigen), and The Father mixed with The Warrior (all three), The Maiden (Kuroh, I suppose Yukari too?), The Mother (Kuroh again, Ichigen too). For all, the Colourless King is considering the weakest of all those chosen by the Slate and a “joker”. The colourless clan led by Ichigen was composed of way different people, though there this misfit theme on its members: Kuroh’s backstory is very tragic, Yukari’s doesn’t seem to have a nice one either (the only thing we know about him is a heartbreak in the past) and Ichigen appears to never have married and later won clairvoyance powers as he was chosen as a King by the Dresden Slate. He carried on his martial school, has wisdom he shared to a selected few and a hermit lifestyle, though he closely collaborated with Daikaku Kokujoji himself.The original members of the Colourless Clan are walking deconstructions: Kuroh has this proper samurai image, yet behaves as a housewive towards Hakumaito and enjoys the activities. Yukari is a sword ace, but carries an ambiguous feminine image (there are in-universe discussions about him, such as Saru referring to him as gay, but the post-credit story has him flirting with two girls. Chaotic bi? flexible? simply metrosexual? we will never know. Ugh, I like him) yet has wisdom and is good at mentoring others (when he bothers to), but there is this morally gray streak about him. Heck, Nagare called him a “Breast”. And Ichigen, as I said above, acts like a reserved hermit, yet aids the Gold Clan, which carries on an underground Japanese government.For the anonymous Colourless King we have in the first season of K, I don’t really have many words. The character was an easily manipulated chaotic evil individual, who later got a sad backstory by losing their remaining sense of self by the use of their particular ability. Another aspect of The Strange, maybe? The whole colorless clan, presented as a joker in k-universe, could fit some degrees of The Stranger theme.

#K Project #ASOIAF #fandom stuff #homra #Scepter 4 #House targaryen #House Arryn #House Hightower #Timeless Palace #Hakumaito #anna kushina #daenerys targaryen #A song of Ice and Fire #K #K clans

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